Using Tech to Enhance EDU for You

Kent ISD is pleased to announce the hosting of the third Personalized Learning Conference on May 2, 2018 and is searching for presenters to share their experiences in this evolving educational practice. Personalized Learning is a model of learning that promotes flexibility within the learning environment to allow students’ needs to drive instructional strategies, assessments, use of time, and materials.

We are searching for presentation proposals that include the innovative and systemic use of blended learning and/or technology to drive or support elementary, middle and high school learning to ensure students are college and career ready. In particular, we seek case studies, action research, and stories of success related to innovative learning that facilitates one or more of the following:

The Idea Slam is a fast-paced “pitch fest” and networking event for educators. Selected projects will be presented and attendees will vote on their favorite ideas. The winning project will receive a minimum of $1,500 towards their innovative educational idea.

The rest of the evening is an informal meet-up with fun conversations and delicious offerings from the new Downtown Grand Rapids venue, the Knickerbocker, owned by New Holland Brewing Company.

What makes the Idea Slam possible and successful?YOUR IDEAS! Submit a proposal by completing this registration form. If chosen as a finalist you will be assigned a pitch coach to help you prepare for the event.

Section 21j of the 2017 -2018 State School Aid Act provides $500,000 to fund grants for the design and implementation of competency-based education programs. Districts will compete for grant funding for the purpose of providing enhanced choice to pupils and parents for the completion of the requirements for kindergarten through a high school diploma, including the Michigan Merit Curriculum. The grant program is designed to be a three-year opportunity for districts to explore, develop , and implement the systems and processes necessary for a quality competency-based education program.

Applications for this grant must be submitted in the Michigan Electronic Grant System Plus (MEGS+) by February 2, 2018. The grant application questions are being provided now so that districts can begin the application process in an effort to allow for maximum time to plan and connect with stakeholders. Please keep in mind that budgets will be submitted MEGS+ and that narrative responses in will be limited to 1000 characters. There is also a section in MEGS+ where supporting documents may be loaded into MEGS+ for review.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is excited to announce a partnership with Microsoft EDU to provide 150,000 to 300,000 free student licenses for the Minecraft Education Edition (M:EE) for one year. This version of the popular open world game, Minecraft, is specifically designed for education, containing features that make Minecraft more accessible and effective in a classroom or after-school program setting. This program aligns to the MDE’s Top 10 in 10 Strategic Plan by enhancing access to effective technology tools that support deeper and personalized learning. The free licenses can be deployed in both Microsoft enabled districts, as well as Google classroom districts.

A competitive application process has been developed to identify the greatest impact of the program, as well as to support the distribution and deployment of these licenses. The application can be found at https://fs27.formsite.com/t2MTj3/form2/index.html.

The grant application is due no later than January 8, 2018. All local education agencies, intermediate school districts, public school academies, and career tech centers are eligible to apply for the M:EE licenses.

For more information regarding the application process please see http://www.techplan.org/rdi/minecraft/. If you have any questions please email or call Amanda Stoel (stoela@michigan.gov), Department Analyst in the Educational Technology Unit with the Office of P-20 Data and Information Management at (517) 241-3629.

We are looking forward to you and your students joining us again for the 2017 Student Technology Showcase (STS) at the Capitol on December 6, 2017. Each year, the STS affords students the opportunity to demonstrate innovative uses of technology for learning. The STS is consistently attended by legislators, guests, media members, and for the first time ever the Governor of Michigan attended last years showcase.

This year’s STS at the Capitol is supported by MACUL, AT&T, and Michigan Virtual. This support has allowed the showcase to remain one of the premier student showcase events in the U.S.

You are invited to bring a team of up to four students to demonstrate how they are applying technology in their learning. Students are expected to prepare professional presentations that will be on display during one of three sessions. While each session lasts roughly 90 minutes, these sessions are arranged around capitol logistics. We will do our best to accommodate requests for specific sessions.

In an effort to provide the opportunity for more schools to participate, only up to one team per school and two teams per district will be accepted.

Deadline for registration is November 4, 2017.

When you register your team you MUST provide a description of the project. A team from MACUL will review your project description and determine whether your team is accepted for the showcase. Team acceptance will no longer be based on a first come/first served basis. Therefore we strongly suggest that you take time to create a project description that clearly explains how technology impacts your students’ learning.

Each team will be provided an eight-foot table for presentations and will have access to wireless internet. Also, teams will be provided with commemorative t-shirts, snacks, parking passes, and a certificate of participation.

In previous years students have demonstrated everything from the use of KidPix (an elementary drawing program) to students who are creating computer apps for school use.

On December 11, the West Michigan Education Leadership Conference is back at Kent ISD! This year’s conference will be kicking off with national speaker and author, Dr. Anthony Muhammad. Everyone that attends will receive a free copy of Anthony’s latest book, “Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division (Leading the Four Types of Teachers) 2nd Edition” that was published in July 2017.

In addition to Anthony, we will also have another up and coming national speaker, Benjamin Gilpin. Ben is “The Colorful Principal.” He is relationship driven, student-centered, and believes that ALL kids can succeed. Ben will present our afternoon keynote as well as a few breakout sessions.

Our theme for the conference this year is “Leaders in Action!” Every presentation will not only give you great information that you can apply to your practice, but it will also highlight leaders that are currently using the strategies presented to impact their students learning.

Do not miss this incredible opportunity to connect with other leaders and learn from their successes.

You are invited to attend the annual Curriculum and Technology Leaders Collaborative Summit (CTLCS). The Summit will be held at Lansing Community College-West on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

The year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers to Achieve the Top 10 in 10” will provide a thoughtful day of learning where together we will seek to answer, “What action can Michigan’s curriculum and technology leaders take to address equity, access, and diversity within their districts?” We will address this question by:

engaging with equity experts;

examining practices that are breaking down barriers for students, families, and the community to ensure equity; and

exploring equity and access strategies in both the MI Roadmap and Michigan’s Top 10 in 10 Strategic Plan.

The summit will emphasize the importance of authentic collaboration between two key district experts: the curriculum and technology leaders. By working together innovative practices will emerge to move Michigan to becoming a Top 10 education state.